Albertsons Lowers Sales and Profit Projections

Albertsons lowered its sales and adjusted net income projections for the year, citing stiffer competition and steep discounts offered by said competitors. The grocer expects annual identical sales growth ranging from 2.2% to 2.5%, dropping its higher-end target from 2.75%. Adjusted net income is now pegged at between $2.08 and $2.16 per Class A common share, versus $2.06 to $2.19 previously (via Reuters).
J.Crew Launches Collaboration With U.S. Ski & Snowboard

J.Crew is launching a collection in partnership with U.S. Ski & Snowboard on Jan. 8. The collection is comprised of 26 various pieces of branded apparel, and is part of a stated three-year partnership. “This collection brings together J.Crew’s longstanding connection to alpine style with the energy and optimism of U.S. Ski & Snowboard as its athletes head to the Olympic Games,” said Libby Wadle, CEO of J.Crew Group (via Forbes).
Retail Returns Up 4.7% Following Christmas Day

Retail returns increased by 4.7% YoY in the days spanning Dec. 26 through Dec. 31 in 2025, versus 2024’s figures. “It’s a pretty predictable uptick post-Christmas,” said Vivek Pandya, lead analyst for Adobe Digital Insights. “That’s a part of the overall experience.” Online shopping and practices such as bracketing and wardrobing are said to be adding to this uptick (via CNBC).
Adobe: US Holiday E-comm Sales Topped $257B

Per Adobe data, U.S. e-commerce sales reached $257.8 billion throughout the period spanning Nov. 1 through Dec. 31 in 2025. “This 2025 holiday season, consumers embraced generative AI more than ever as a shopping assistant in their purchasing decisions,” said Vivek Pandya, lead analyst for Adobe Digital Insights. “Competitive discounts and flexible payment options like BNPL also contributed to driving record spend of $257.8 billion throughout this holiday season” (via Chain Store Age).
Retail Experts Claim Curation, Integrated Retail Media, and Sustainability Will Drive Business in 2026

According to a panel of expert commentary compiled by Retail Touchpoints, three major factors will come to the fore for retailers in 2026: Sustainability and the importance of the circular economy will be even more prominent, particularly in demand from Gen Z consumers; curation, rather than raw assortment, means more to today’s consumer who is looking for the best product at the right time; and the confluence of traditional retail media networks, agentic retail, and discovery commerce (via social channels like TikTok or YouTube) will form hybrid entities tailored to each company’s needs.